


Pineapple Dreams

by flowerfan



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Brief Memory Loss, Confusion, Fluff, Future Fic, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerfan/pseuds/flowerfan
Summary: Instead of being away with Catherine, Steve is right here beside him.  This may be the best dream Danny has ever had.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 27
Kudos: 173





	Pineapple Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read my Johnlock fic "The One That Remains" and think this story seems similar, more will be explained in the notes at the end.

Danny comes to slowly, immediately aware that something is wrong. He wishes it didn’t feel so familiar. At some point, he’s really got to stop getting bashed around like this. He’s not getting any younger.

He tries to take a deep breath, but everything feels heavy, and any attempt to move his head results in shooting pain. There are voices nearby but he can’t tell what anyone is saying and each sound lands like a tire iron to his head. Try as he might, he can’t make himself open his eyes. Resigned that he’s going to have to wait, and not having any other options, Danny slips back into unconsciousness.

When he wakes again, the pain has faded to a manageable ache. He holds still, not wanting to make anything worse, and tries to take stock. He can tell he’s in the hospital, but he doesn’t seem to be hooked up to much, and he’s obviously breathing on his own. He gingerly shifts his toes and fingers, and, deciding that nothing too awful seems to have taken place, opens his eyes.

“Danny,” a relieved voice breaths out, and then Steve is leaning forward, his face coming into focus in front of his own. He needs a shave. “You with me, pal?”

Danny can’t manage a response, but any words are tossed right out of him anyway when Steve leans even closer and brushes a kiss across his lips.

“Glad you’re back, Danno,” Steve says softly, holding his gaze. “I missed you.” Then Steve sits up, straightening his shoulders as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened, and turns to respond to the doctor who has come into the room.

What the hell is going on? Danny quickly closes his eyes again and tries to think. He really doesn’t feel injured and all his limbs are still attached. Maybe there’s a life threatening bullet hole somewhere he can’t figure out? Maybe he’s been diagnosed with a fatal disease, or the building’s about to collapse? Terrorists, perhaps? 

It’s got to be something dire, because Steve does not _kiss_ him. Sure, he throws an arm over Danny’s shoulder, gives him a socially acceptable bro hug, flashes him those shining smiles, but there has never been any _kissing_ involved. They may be friends, even best friends, but it has never gone further than that, no matter how chummy they are on movie night, not even when there was only one bed in that damn D.C. hotel. Steve’s not interested in him, not that way. If nothing else, Steve leaving the island to find himself right after Danny got shot had made that abundantly clear. 

Danny resolves to just play dead (not actually dead, just sleeping, it’s a saying) until he figures this out. He’s a detective, after all, there must be some clues to consider if he can concentrate hard enough. With this decided, Danny forces himself to relax, and hopes Steve buys it.

“Hey, buddy, good idea,” Steve says, apparently in reaction to his feigning sleep. “I’d want to tune out, too, if I had a day like you did. Today sucked, but you’re okay now. You’re on the mend. I’ve got you. Sleep for a while, you’ll feel better.” Danny feels Steve’s hand land gently on his shoulder, and it’s all he can do not to shrug it off. It isn’t like Steve to tease him, not when it matters.

Danny tries to listen when the next doctor comes in to poke at him, but his brain is still foggy and he can’t focus. He thinks he dozes for a while, safe in the darkness. It’s much less confusing there. When he surfaces once more, Steve is still right there next to him.

This is definitely not normal Steve behavior. Sure, in the past when Danny has gotten injured Steve will sit at his bedside until he wakes up, but then Steve’s off and running, tracking down the suspect, saving the island from the scumbag of the week. But Danny’s already woken up once, and doesn’t seem to be at death’s door, yet Steve is still here. It doesn’t make any sense.

It must be a dream, Danny decides. He got knocked out, his brain got scrambled, and now he is caught in a dream, a dream where his painstakingly secret crush has turned out to be not so unrequited as he thought. A dream where his feelings for Steve are returned.

Danny is considering whether he can convince his addled brain to stay in this dream for a while, to bask in the fantasy sunshine of Steve’s love, and maybe get another one or two of those kisses, when his musings are interrupted by a well loved voice.

“Uncle Steve, hi, I came as fast as I could, how is he?” 

What is Grace doing here? She’s in college, on the mainland. 

“Gracie. He’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Steve’s hand leaves Danny’s shoulder (his hand was still on his shoulder?) and Danny can tell he’s getting up and hugging Grace.

“Is my dad going to be okay?”

“Absolutely.”

“But you said he was drugged.”

“It only lasts a little while, and he’s already waking up. Come on, sit with him a minute. Take my chair. I’ll go grab a coffee.” 

Danny is distracted by Grace leaning over him and giving him a gentle hug, and then he realizes he’s alone with her. He shouldn’t feel so hurt by Steve’s departure, Steve was never really here anyway. 

“Danno, stop faking. Why won’t you open your eyes?”

Danny can’t help a small laugh. His daughter is too smart for her own good. He looks up at her, drinking in the sight. He may not have Steve, but Grace is as wonderful as ever, although she is looking far too grown up for his tastes. He supposes dreams are weird that way.

“When am I gonna wake up?” he asks, realizing as he does that dream Gracie isn’t likely to know the answer any more accurately than Danny himself does.

Grace smiles and shakes her head. “You’re wide awake now, Danno.”

“Nah, I’m not,” Danny says indulgently. He doesn’t want to argue with dream Grace, but she’s wrong. 

“Steve says the drugs will wear off soon. You’re going to be fine.”

Danny closes his eyes again. He loves his monkey like crazy, but he does wish Steve would come back too. They could all be here together in the dream. A dream family. That would be awesome.

“Danno… open your eyes. Talk to me.” Grace can still whine with the best of them, even in his dream. Too bad. “I’ve got to go soon, I can only stay until Steve comes back.”

Danny squints one eye open. “He’s coming back?”

Grace grins at him. “Of course he’s coming back, silly. Where else would he go?”

Okay, that’s not a helpful question. Steve has plenty of other places to go, all of them away from Oahu. Away from Five-0, and his ohana. Away from Danny.

Danny presses his cheek into his pillow and pulls an arm up over his face. He doesn’t like feeling so confused. Grace is keeping something from him, and so is Steve. There has to be a reason for the way everyone is behaving. He just wishes dream Steve would return and keep him company until Danny’s brain clears up and he can return to reality, whatever it might be. He’d be fine with being best friends again, especially if Steve would keep kissing him every so often. It could be their thing, their special best friends/partners/housemates thing.

Danny drifts off, and then Steve is back, bringing the welcome smell of coffee into the room. Grace whispers something about being late for an appointment, and Steve tells her they’ll talk later.

Steve sits down next to Danny, and Danny risks a quick glimpse. Steve is gazing right back at him, a terribly fond look on his face. Danny quickly closes his eyes again. He’s got no fucking clue what’s going on, and it’s making him nervous.

“It’s all right,” Steve says, his coffee breath in Danny’s face. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be right here.” Then there’s an unmistakable brush across Danny’s cheek.

Again, a _kiss._ A _kiss._ It doesn’t make any sense, but Danny likes it anyway. Loves it. Is already addicted to it. He can’t help tilting his head towards Steve, and he’s rewarded with a quiet chuckle and _another kiss,_ this time on the lips. He wonders if he can dream this dream forever, because it’s pretty damn good.

“You really should wake up soon,” Steve says, pushing Danny’s hair away from his forehead. “There’s still lots to do. Grace is handling some of the last minute stuff, but she keeps asking me questions, and I know you’ve got opinions, even though you’d think everything would be decided by now. Who knew weddings were so much work?”

Danny sucks in a breath, stricken. If Steve notices he doesn’t say anything, just moves his hand to hold Danny’s as a nurse engages him in small talk about his favorite surf spots.

That’s why Steve is here. Grace is getting married. Danny knows he should be happy for her, but at the same time, this information sends his dream crashing down around him. Steve isn’t here for Danny, he’s here for Grace. That’s why he came back from wherever he danced off with Catherine, trekking the Himalayas or saving endangered pandas. He’s just here for Grace’s wedding, and then he’ll leave again, and Danny will be on his own, pining for what might have been.

But if Grace is getting married, why can’t Danny picture her spouse-to-be? And he’s sure that the last time he talked to Grace, she was single, and confidently declared that she wanted to remain unattached, at least until she decided where to go to grad school. Although, if she’s already thinking about grad school, what’s happened in the meantime? Isn’t Grace just a sophomore? 

It occurs to Danny, like a beam through the fog of his mind, that whatever he got drugged with must have affected his memory, because he’s got no idea what led up to his little girl getting married.

Danny’s confusion must show on his face, because Steve has noticed this time (he can be very observant, it’s annoying how easily he can read Danny), and is now clearly worried about him. Danny can’t stand this, can’t stand being so disoriented. Nothing makes sense, and it’s scaring him.

“Danny? You okay?”

Danny squeezes his eyes shut, and a tear slides down his cheek. Well done, he thinks to himself. Now he’ll definitely believe you’re asleep.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Steve wipes the tear away with a fingertip, and Danny squirms. “Really, you’re gonna be okay. Trust me.”

Now there’s a loaded comment. Trust him. Danny does, though, despite Steve leaving after he was shot, despite the fact that Catherine went with him, despite everything. Danny doesn’t remember what day of the week it is, or whether Grace is marrying a boy or a girl, but he knows he trusts Steve. He just wishes someone would tell him why he feels so lost, and why he can’t ever catch a break. He’d almost rather not have had this stupid dream, not when Steve is just going to leave again.

“The drugs will wear off soon, Danny. You got a low dose, just hang in there, it’ll get better. Noelani went over the results from the last victims, and she’s sure of it.”

Danny’s not sure what Noelani has to do with any of this. She can’t keep Steve from leaving.

“Come on, relax. Take some deep breaths for me.” Steve is running his hand over Danny’s hair again, and Danny wants to scream. Deep breaths aren’t going to help this situation.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Danno. Just tell me, let me help.”

Steve’s affectionate tone breaks him, and Danny can no longer control himself. “How soon are you leaving after Grace’s wedding, huh?” he spits out. “Might as well go now. Save me the goodbyes.” He knows he probably isn’t making any sense, but he doesn’t care. He just can’t go through it again, losing Steve. Waiting for his texts as they get more and more infrequent, wondering if things will ever go back to normal.

Steve takes Danny’s face in his hands, and speaks firmly to him. “Danny, open your eyes.”

Danny shakes his head.

“You are a stubborn bastard, aren’t you,” Steve says, and leans down and kisses Danny, right on the lips. It’s a more assertive kiss this time, and Danny feels himself respond, a strangely familiar feeling coursing through him.

Danny can’t help looking at him when Steve pulls back, even as he pants to catch his breath. “Why do you keep kissing me?”

Steve smirks. “Preparation for the wedding.”

“What does that even mean?”

“We’re gonna kiss in front of everyone, and you’re acting like you’re out of practice. So, I’m fixing it.”

“Steve…” Danny looks around the room, hopelessly out of his depth, but no one is there to give him a clue. “I don’t understand.”

Steve’s grinning his just-for-Danny smile, and Danny recognizes it, despite his confusion. “There _is_ going to be a wedding, you were right about that. But Grace isn’t getting married.” Steve shifts and pulls a box out of his pocket and places it in Danny’s hand. “We are.”

Danny stares as Steve opens the box for him, revealing two simple gold rings nestled in the black velvet.

“I picked them up from the jeweler yesterday, just before all hell broke loose. They’re ours, exactly how we wanted. See?” Steve takes a ring out of the box and slips it onto Danny’s finger.

“You’re joking.”

“I am not. This is your wedding ring.”

“I’m dreaming. Not that I mind, actually, but this has to be a dream,” Danny insists, but Steve just smirks at him and puts the other ring onto his own hand, holding it up and smiling at Danny.

“It’s not a dream, pal. Just rest, and try to relax. You’ll remember soon.”

“Remember? What are you talking about?” Danny’s chest feels uncomfortably tight, and he wonders if he is having a panic attack. He’s pretty sure you can have a panic attack in your dreams, he’s had nightmares of every shape and size, why not add panic attacks into the mix? He’s drawn away from this line of thought by the squeak of the hospital chair as Steve shuffles it closer to Danny’s bed. 

“I wasn’t supposed to say anything until the drugs wore off, apparently it agitates people to realize that their memory is impaired.” Steve leans in and wraps his arms around Danny. “I didn’t mean to stress you out.” Steve is pressed so close against Danny, he can feel the rise and fall of Steve’s chest against his own.

“Breathe with me,” Steve implores. “Come on. You can do it.”

Danny does, his nose practically touching Steve’s cheek, warm air exchanged between them as Danny matches his exhalations to Steve’s. When the room stops spinning, he pulls his left hand out of Steve’s grasp, and looks at the ring Steve placed on his finger. He slides it off and sees the simple inscription. _Danny & Steve -- 10/1/22_

“No way.”

Steve catches his gaze, and looks at him steadily. “I wouldn’t kid you about this Danny, not after how long it took us to get our act together. This is real, I promise. Here, wait a sec.” Steve takes out his phone and holds it out to Danny. “Our engagement party, back in the spring. You drank three pineapple mai tais.”

“Now I know I’m dreaming,” Danny mutters.

“Come on, check these out.”

Danny looks at the pictures as Steve swipes through them. There are multiple pictures of Steve and Danny with their arms around each other, dressed smartly in slacks and dark button-downs, elaborate leis around their necks. There’s a picture of them kissing while surrounded by their friends and family. There’s a sweet one of Danny’s mom in the middle of a Steve and Danny hug, and a picture of Tani doing a Charlie’s Angels pose with Mary and Bridget. Everyone’s there – their friends and family, ohana from the island and from New Jersey.

Steve swipes to another picture, just the two of them dancing in front of a banner that reads “Congratulations Steve and Danny.” Each of them have a plumeria flower behind their left ear.

It’s still awfully hard to believe.

Steve swipes once again, and this time it’s a silly photo of Danny’s kids making faces behind Steve’s back. This one is easier to accept, although… “Charlie looks so big.”

“Growing like a weed,” Steve confirms. “Grace is going to bring him by later, if you’re still stuck here. But I think I’ll be taking you home soon.”

“Home?”

“Yeah, babe. Home.”

 _Babe?_ Isn’t that Danny’s line? “This is a very confusing dream,” Danny says. 

“A good one?” Steve asks, his eyes searching Danny’s face.

Danny can’t possibly lie about this. “Are you serious? It’s amazing.” Danny doesn’t know what to think as Steve flat out climbs into the freaking hospital bed and snuggles – snuggles – up against him. Could Steve be telling the truth? Are they getting married? How had Danny possibly pulled that off, luring Steve back to the island, away from Catherine, and back with Danny where he belongs? How had Danny convinced Steve McGarrett to give him his heart? It is both too incredible to believe, and at the same time… Steve asked him to trust him, and he does. God help him, he does.

“Enough worrying for now,” Steve says, snuffling against Danny’s neck. “Sleep for a while. It’ll all come back to you soon. Hopefully in time for the bachelor party. Kamekona’s going to be pissed if we have to cancel.”

Danny lets himself drift off, safe and warm with Steve’s heavy arms wrapped around him. When he wakes a few hours later, his fiancé curled up against him, Danny knows this isn’t a dream. It’s his life, his wonderful, crazy life, and it’s better than any dream he possibly could have imagined.

**Author's Note:**

> This story and my Johnlock fic "The One That Remains" each follow the two main characters in a very similar situation. It was in some ways a challenge I set for myself to see if I could write a story based on the same idea, but make it authentic in a new character's voice. I think I succeeded, but it was really interesting to see how much had to change as I remade the premise for Steve and Danny. I had a great time writing this one (as well as the first). I hope you like it!


End file.
